ike barn87987 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn has toned down the "fast and physical" talk that dominated his dialogue after taking over the team. Quinn's mindset, however, hasn't changed one bit as he tries to establish his style of defense. And a major part of the retooling effort is improving team speed, particularly at linebacker. "We certainly want to find ways to see our speed and tackling at linebacker (improve)," Quinn said. His reference was to both free agency and the draft. Quinn caught a glimpse of what type of speed some of the draft prospects possess during last week's Senior Bowl. "I haven't dug in all the way with the group, but I have a real clear vision of what I'm looking for," Quinn said. "It's the space tackling. In college football right now, there are so many spread offenses. So space and tackling, that's where so much of the game is. "It's not like the fullback dive and you're going to see how you can crush a guy. It's the deep routes that happen, the speed, the screen plays. For a linebacker, tackling in space is huge because it happens on third down, it happens on special teams, it happens so many times in the pass game. From a tackling standpoint, that's what I'm looking for the most: space tackling. That's where you can feel a guy's speed, and not how quickly I can get to that hole from four yards away. That's what I'm looking for when I'm evaluating the linebackers." Alabama's Reggie Ragland can run and is physical, so he's a first-round talent who will be on most teams' radar throughout the draft process. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound Ragland didn't talk formally with the Falcons at the Senior Bowl. Strictly from a speed perspective, LSU's Deion Jones drew rave reviews from coaches and scouts during the first few days of Senior Bowl practices. Jones had six tackles in the South's 27-16 win over the North this past Saturday. "I guess it's just a part of my game," Jones said of his speed. "I like playing fast. I like to get after it. That's just part of my nature, man." Jones had some casual conversations with the Falcons at the Senior Bowl, as he did with a number of teams. The projected third-rounder was asked about the possibility of being drafted by Atlanta. "Being from New Orleans, it would be hard for my daddy to suck that up because he's a die-hard Saints fan," Jones said. "I think he would get used to it. I know the Falcons have good players and I know they compete." The 6-foot-1-inch, 230-pound Jones was asked what he expected to run in the 40-yard dash at the combine. "I don't know yet," he said. "About 4.4." Another linebacker the Falcons have their eye on from the Senior Bowl is Kentucky's Josh Forrest (6-foot-3, 255 pounds), who had three tackles for the South team. The former wide receiver, who played hybrid linebacker/safety as a freshman, has the kind of length Quinn looks for in a player to go with the speed. Some of the faster linebackers who declared as underclassmen include Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith, UCLA's Myles Jack and Ohio State's Darron Lee. Smith and Jack are coming off major knee surgeries. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. projects Jack, Ragland, and Smith to be top-20 picks, but Smith's recovery from ACL and MCL tears in his left knee has his status for the start of the 2016 season in doubt. The Falcons need speedy linebackers ready to come in and contribute immediately. Veteran Justin Durant is probably the best and fastest linebacker on the team right now but he has dealt with too many nagging injuries. http://espn.go.com/blog/atlanta-falcons/post/_/id/18924/speed-at-linebacker-an-offseason-priority-for-dan-quinn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Speed at linebacker an offseason priority for Falcons Vaughn McClureESPN Staff Writer Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn has toned down the "fast and physical" talk that dominated his dialogue after taking over the team. Quinn's mindset, however, hasn't changed one bit as he tries to establish his style of defense. And a major part of the retooling effort is improving team speed, particularly at linebacker. "We certainly want to find ways to see our speed and tackling at linebacker (improve)," Quinn said. His reference was to both free agency and the draft. Quinn caught a glimpse of what type of speed some of the draft prospects possess during last week's Senior Bowl. "I haven't dug in all the way with the group, but I have a real clear vision of what I'm looking for," Quinn said. "It's the space tackling. In college football right now, there are so many spread offenses. So space and tackling, that's where so much of the game is. "It's not like the fullback dive and you're going to see how you can crush a guy. It's the deep routes that happen, the speed, the screen plays. For a linebacker, tackling in space is huge because it happens on third down, it happens on special teams, it happens so many times in the pass game. From a tackling standpoint, that's what I'm looking for the most: space tackling. That's where you can feel a guy's speed, and not how quickly I can get to that hole from four yards away. That's what I'm looking for when I'm evaluating the linebackers." Alabama's Reggie Ragland can run and is physical, so he's a first-round talent who will be on most teams' radar throughout the draft process. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound Ragland didn't talk formally with the Falcons at the Senior Bowl. Strictly from a speed perspective, LSU's Deion Jones drew rave reviews from coaches and scouts during the first few days of Senior Bowl practices. Jones had six tackles in the South's 27-16 win over the North this past Saturday. "I guess it's just a part of my game," Jones said of his speed. "I like playing fast. I like to get after it. That's just part of my nature, man." Jones had some casual conversations with the Falcons at the Senior Bowl, as he did with a number of teams. The projected third-rounder was asked about the possibility of being drafted by Atlanta. "Being from New Orleans, it would be hard for my daddy to suck that up because he's a die-hard Saints fan," Jones said. "I think he would get used to it. I know the Falcons have good players and I know they compete." The 6-foot-1-inch, 230-pound Jones was asked what he expected to run in the 40-yard dash at the combine. "I don't know yet," he said. "About 4.4." Another linebacker the Falcons have their eye on from the Senior Bowl is Kentucky's Josh Forrest (6-foot-3, 255 pounds), who had three tackles for the South team. The former wide receiver, who played hybrid linebacker/safety as a freshman, has the kind of length Quinn looks for in a player to go with the speed. Some of the faster linebackers who declared as underclassmen include Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith, UCLA's Myles Jack and Ohio State's Darron Lee. Smith and Jack are coming off major knee surgeries. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. projects Jack, Ragland, and Smith to be top-20 picks, but Smith's recovery from ACL and MCL tears in his left knee has his status for the start of the 2016 season in doubt. The Falcons need speedy linebackers ready to come in and contribute immediately. Veteran Justin Durant is probably the best and fastest linebacker on the team right now but he has dealt with too many nagging injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerSteve Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Definitely have to get faster at LBer this off-season. The question is who does Quinmitroff want? I have no idea who they're focused in on, but there are enough upgrades in this draft at LB we are going to be better and faster next season whoever they decide to go with. The D is where Quinn earned his chops, so I know he'll get this D up into the top five within a year or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconstwopercentsized Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 yus please I'm envious of the Steelers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold4425 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Durant =Smith, when we'll they are good BUT the injury thing keeps them off the field too.much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy5prings Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 So this means we probably don't pick Ragland or any other two-down, run stuffing "thumper" at LB. Jack is surely gone in the top 10 and Jaylon Smith likely won't be available at 17 if his knee checks out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xSICKxWITHxITx Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I like Demario Davis in free agency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlfanstckndenver Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I think as obvious as this has been, these fans around here ultimately know what this team needs for the most part. As opposed to someone like d led who needs too be told 63 times before he understands it for himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovie_Lover Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 29 minutes ago, Gold4425 said: Durant =Smith, when we'll they are good BUT the injury thing keeps them off the field too.much. Smith who? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1989Fan Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 17 minutes ago, Yo_Lover said: Smith who? I think he means Jaylen Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis York Morgan Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Would love love LOVE to see Deion Jones in red and black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_The Iceman_Ryan Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) 1. Jaylon Smith MLB 2. Su'a Cravens SS/OLB hybrid 3. Deion Jones OLB Imagine those three on the field on 3rd and 8....we've got every RB and TE in the league covered...all excellent tacklers and "fly" to the ball.... One can dream right? If Jones runs in the 4.4 range at the combine, he might not make it to our 3rd round pick...Kwon Alexander was a 4th rounder last year with more years of experience, so it will be interesting how other teams view Jones' size/speed combo....I think every 3-4 team will shy away from him and Su'a Cravens (at least at LB), so that will definitely help our chances... The crazy thing is Jaylon Smith runs 4.4...he never would ahve made it out of the Top 10 without the injury...its a more athletic version of Keuchly...he just wasn't coached to play close to the line of scrimmage the past two years...he played a lot of drop back zone coverage and deep middle coverage... Edited February 2, 2016 by Matt_The Iceman_Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of God Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 1 hour ago, xSICKxWITHxITx said: I like Demario Davis in free agency. Good one man. Had not really given him much thought, but he is a pretty good player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDuB2009 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 12 minutes ago, Knight of God said: Good one man. Had not really given him much thought, but he is a pretty good player. I wonder who will draw more money between him and Trevathan, though. I think I prefer Trevathan but whoever came cheaper would be ideal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of God Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 3 minutes ago, CDuB2009 said: I wonder who will draw more money between him and Trevathan, though. I think I prefer Trevathan but whoever came cheaper would be ideal. I would actually prefer Davis now that I'm researching the two. Trevathan is way more seasoned, but Davis would come a lot cheaper and still very talented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDuB2009 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Just now, Knight of God said: I would actually prefer Davis now that I'm researching the two. Trevathan is way more seasoned, but Davis would come a lot cheaper and still very talented. Yeah I'll have to look into Davis more now, kinda had forgetten he was a free agent. I believe Brandon Marshall (LB) is FA as well so he could be another option. Any one of the three would be a huge upgrade to the defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of God Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Dude is a freak my bro. http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=69560&draftyear=2012&genpos=OLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macintez Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 2 hours ago, Sandy5prings said: So this means we probably don't pick Ragland or any other two-down, run stuffing "thumper" at LB. Jack is surely gone in the top 10 and Jaylon Smith likely won't be available at 17 if his knee checks out. Ragland is not a two down LB.... He's a 3 down LB. Just because he won't run a 4.2 in the 40 doesn't mean he can't play 3 downs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of God Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 5 minutes ago, Macintez said: Ragland is not a two down LB.... He's a 3 down LB. Just because he won't run a 4.2 in the 40 doesn't mean he can't play 3 downs. True Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trubirdfan4life Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Gotta find THE guy at middle linebacker...just have to have an upgrade there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramonezy Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Give me Ragland in 1st and Jones in the 3rd. 2nd can be used to get best pass rushing D lineman and 4th on a high upside project like Oakman or OG/OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackredfellow Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, Knight of God said: Dude is a freak my bro. http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=69560&draftyear=2012&genpos=OLB Intriguing! Didn't know much of the guy but he looks beastly. Had some trouble bringing guys down, just stood em up, but I'll take a guy who wraps up over whiffing any day. Good speed. Edited February 2, 2016 by blackredfellow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FentayeJones Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 10 hours ago, Macintez said: Ragland is not a two down LB.... He's a 3 down LB. Just because he won't run a 4.2 in the 40 doesn't mean he can't play 3 downs. Yep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconstwopercentsized Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 worrilow plays three downs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FentayeJones Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 11 hours ago, Knight of God said: Dude is a freak my bro. http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=69560&draftyear=2012&genpos=OLB dom cosentinoVerified account @domcosentino Jan 28 Also, Jets plan to let ILB Demario Davis hit free agency: http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/demario_davis_unlikely_to_return_with_jets_working.html … Looks like he will definitely be available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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